08 Nov Network Develops Resources for the Health Education Programme of UEFA EURO 2012
European Healthy Stadia Network Develops Resources for Official Community Health Education Programme of UEFA EURO 2012
The European Healthy Stadia Network is pleased to announce its involvement in the EURO 2012 project ‘RESPECT your Health – Euroschools 2012’, recently launched as a part of UEFA’s RESPECT campaign.
The project will promote healthy lifestyles to local communities, with a focus on smoking prevention, healthy diet, moderation in alcohol consumption, and encouraging physical activity among young people and their parents in Poland and Ukraine. Based on a ‘train the trainer’ model, schools, NGOs and local coaches in the eight UEFA EURO 2012 host cities will be empowered to combine sport sessions with structured health education messages aimed at improving health literacy and bringing about long-term behaviour change.
Following up on its role in advocating for a tobacco-free EURO 2012, the European Healthy Stadia Network has partnered closely with RESPECT your Health’s coordinating agency – streetfootballworld – to develop health content for a specially designed ‘toolkit’ that guides coaches, teachers and animators on how to use the power of football to improve health. The toolkit contains information on lifestyle risk factors, short-term and long-term disease states and a host of sports-orientated games and exercises to help deliver key messages in a fun and systematic way. Activities in schools, youth centres and sport clubs have already begun, whilst the toolkit is available to view along with latest news at: www.respectyourhealth.eu
In addition to streetfootballworld, RESPECT your Health will be implemented by a wide range of partners: Volunteers for Sport, PL.2012 and the School Sports Association in Poland; the Football Federation of Ukraine and Open Fun Football Schools in Ukraine; and, the European Healthy Stadia Network, World Heart Federation and Muuvit.
UEFA’s RESPECT campaign will tackle some of Europe’s key social issues aiming to raise awareness and positively affect the lives of people in Poland and Ukraine. The RESPECT campaign, UEFA’s social responsibility initiative, was originally launched by the UEFA president at UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Speaking about the importance of the RESPECT campaign, Michel Platini said:
“As the governing body of European football, UEFA has the responsibility to protect the game and its supporters. RESPECT at EURO highlights UEFA’s continuous commitment to combat any form of discrimination, increase access for fans with disabilities, promote health through physical activity and encourage intercultural dialogue between fans and the host cities”.
For more information on UEFA’s RESPECT projects for EURO 2012 see www.uefa.com
